IN THIS BULLETIN:
Meetings/Workshops/Events:
1. SPRING KICK-OFF WELCOME CONNECT LUNCH
2. HOW TO USE iTHENTICATE – TRAINING SESSIONS
Administrative Announcements:
3. NOMINATIONS FOR GRADUATE STUDENT AWARDS – DEADLINE 2/1; DEADLINE 2/15 FOR NOTIFICATION OF COLLEGE WINNERS
4. OUTSTANDING MENTOR AWARD NOMINATIONS – DEADLINE FOR NOTIFICATION 2/15
5. ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS FOR GRADUATE ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
6. REMINDER FOR ADMISSION APPLICATION DECISIONS
7. MCNAIR GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIP
8. DEAN’S DIVERSITY ASSISTANTSHIP
9. POWELL FELLOWSHIP
10. NEW REQUIREMENT FOR STUDENTS PURSUING GRAD DEGREES AT VT
11. GRADUATE EDUCATION WEEK 2019
Deadlines/Dates to Remember:
FEB 1: Nominations for grad student awards submission due
FEB 4: Tuition payment deadline
FEB 5: Bursar’s office to begin purging student accounts
FEB 8: Last day to submit the start-of-semester defense exception form for spring
FEB 15: Notification of college winners for Student & Mentor awards due
Meetings/Workshops/Events:
1. SPRING KICK-OFF WELCOME CONNECT LUNCH
Monday, February 4, 12:00-1:00 PM, Graduate Life Center, Multipurpose Room
Come out and meet representatives from university offices, learn about student resources and network with other new and returning students, faculty, and staff with lunch provided. Please register at http://bit.ly/NewStudentLunch by February 1. For accommodations related to disabilities, please contact Justin Grimes at jgrimes18@vt.edu at least 72 hours in advance of the event.
2. HOW TO USE iTHENTICATE – TRAINING SESSIONS
Multiple dates, times, and locations; registration requested
The Graduate School is offering training sessions on how graduate students will use iThenticate, a newly available software system, to review the originality of documents, ensure accurate attribution to other authors, and eliminate occurrences of potential plagiarism. Please attend only one session if you are interested; registration at https://profdev.tlos.vt.edu/ by searching for “iThenticate” in the search box.
– Monday, Feb 4, 7:00pm-8:00pm via Zoom Room 5402318316
– Wednesday, February 27, 2:00pm-3:00pm in GLC C
– Wednesday, March 6, 7:00pm-8:00pm via Zoom Room 5402318316
– Thursday, March 28, 10:00am-11:00am in GLC C
– Tuesday, April 9, 7:00pm-8:00pm via Zoom Room 5402318316
– Tuesday, April 16, 3:00pm-4:00pm in GLC C
Administrative Announcements:
3. NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR GRADUATE STUDENT AWARDS – DEADLINE 2/1; DEADLINE 2/15 FOR NOTIFICATION OF COLLEGE WINNERS
The Graduate School invites nominations for graduate student awards. Faculty and/or academic departments and programs may submit nominations for the following awards:
– Outstanding Dissertation Award
– William Preston Society Master’s Thesis Award
– Graduate Student Teaching Excellence
– Graduate Student Service Excellence
– Graduate Student of the Year
– Outstanding Interdisciplinary Program Doctoral Student.
To learn about nomination criteria and procedures, which have changed this year, visit https://graduateschool.vt.edu/about/awards/student.html. Nominations are due by Feb 1, 2019.
In addition to these awards, each college selects its outstanding master’s and doctoral student based on selection criteria developed by the colleges. Notification about each college’s winners are due by Feb 15, 2019. See details at https://graduateschool.vt.edu/about/awards/student/outstanding-graduate-student.html. All winners will be recognized at our annual Graduate Education Week awards banquet on Mar 28, 2019.
4. OUTSTANDING MENTOR AWARD NOMINATIONS – DEADLINE FOR NOTIFICATION 2/15
The Graduate School recognizes one faculty member from each college with the Outstanding Mentor award for their role in supporting, encouraging, and promoting a positive and inclusive scholarly and teaching environment, and for contributing to the professional and personal development of graduate students. Nominees must be full-time faculty members who have successfully mentored graduate students at the master’s or doctoral level. Each college sets its timeline for departments to submit nominations to the college for review and winner selection. Notification about each college’s winners are due by Feb 15, 2019. For more details visit: https://graduateschool.vt.edu/about/awards/outstanding-mentor-award.html.
5. ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS FOR GRADUATE ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
The Grad School is accepting nomination for the Graduate Alumni Achievement Award. This award recognizes outstanding national and/or international achievement and exemplary contribution by the winner to his or her profession, discipline, community or society. Nominees must be engaged in efforts that enhance the reputation of Virginia Tech to a national and/or international audience. Only alumni who have obtained a graduate degree from Virginia Tech are eligible. Deadline is February 28, 2019. For more information on nomination requirements and to submit a nomination, visit: https://graduateschool.vt.edu/about/awards/alumni.html.
6. REMINDER FOR ADMISSION APPLICATION DECISIONS:
The Office of Export and Secure Research Compliance (OESRC) and the Graduate School developed procedures to identify graduate students with a high risk of export control, sanctions, or security concerns and provide guidance to the departments for compliance with these regulations. An automated screening method identifies international graduate students who intersect with three high risk areas: sanctioned country citizenship, prior or current foreign military affiliation, and affiliation with restricted parties or embargoed organizations. These applicants are reviewed by OESRC and guidance will be provided to the departments, if necessary. In most cases, OESRC will complete the review within 3 business days. In rare circumstances, additional time will be required to adjudicate cases, and departments will be notified within 3 business days if additional processing time is needed.
In order to ensure that the automated screening process occurs for all applicants recommended for admission, it is imperative that departments mark students recommended for admission in HokieSpa as Accept in GSAPP as well. To note the recommendation for admission in GSAPP, go to Actions –> Department Recommend –> Accept & Save.
This will set the application in GSAPP as Accept in your status list which initiates the OESRC review process. You must still submit the Online Admissions Analysis form in HokieSpa as the official decision. Admission recommendations in HokieSpa will not be processed by the Graduate School until the OESRC screening process in GSAPP has been completed. Questions regarding setting the application status to Accept in GSAPP may be addressed to Janice Austin at jema@vt.edu.
7. MCNAIR GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIP
Applications are currently being accepted for the Ronald E. McNair Graduate Assistantship program.. For eligibility and nomination information please visit https://graduateschool.vt.edu/funding/types-of-funding/funding-sponsored-by-the-graduate-school/mcnair-assistantship.html.
Nominations are due by March 11. Please contact Shernita Lee at shernita@vt.edu with questions or concerns.
8. DEAN’S DIVERSITY ASSISTANTSHIP
Applications are currently being accepted for the Dean’s Diversity Assistantship program. For eligibility and nomination information please visit https://graduateschool.vt.edu/funding/types-of-funding/funding-sponsored-by-the-graduate-school/dean-s-diversity-assistantships0.html. Nominations are due by March 8. Please contact Shernita Lee at shernita@vt.edu with questions or concerns.
9. POWELL FELLOWSHIP
Applications are currently being accepted for the Powell Fellowship. For eligibility and nomination information please visit https://graduateschool.vt.edu/funding/types-of-funding/funding-sponsored-by-the-graduate-school/powell-fellowship.html. Nominations due by April 2, 2019. Please contact Shernita Lee at shernita@vt.edu with questions or concerns.
10. NEW REQUIREMENT FOR STUDENTS PURSUING GRAD DEGREES AT VT
The Commission on Graduate Studies and Policy recently approved a new requirement for students pursuing graduate degrees at Virginia Tech: an inclusion and diversity education component as part of their studies. This requirement aligns with the Graduate School’s goal of providing all students with an affirming, inclusive, and diverse education program that helps prepare them for the challenges they will meet in their post-graduation careers. Four topics must be included in the plans: the University’s Principles of Community; the impact of personal actions and words; avenues of redress and shared responsibility as active bystanders to recognize and disrupt bullying; and a process of individual introspection and reflection leading to awareness of one’s own words and language. Other topics also may be included. Each program, department, or college may develop its own plan for meeting the requirement, and all plans must be approved by the Graduate School after submission by the unit’s Graduate Program Director or its equivalent. For more information about the requirement, including whom to contact for assistance and questions, please visit the Graduate School’s Inclusion and Diversity Requirement webpage at: https://graduateschool.vt.edu/faculty-and-staff-resources/inclusion-diversity-requirement.html.
11. GRADUATE EDUCATION WEEK 2019
Mark your calendar for Graduate Education Week 2018, celebrated March 25-29 to highlight the contributions and achievements of graduate students and the importance of graduate education to Virginia Tech. We invite and encourage all departments and graduate programs to host their own GEW events as well. If you would be interested in collaborating with the Graduate School on an event, please contact Lauren Surface at lkeister@vt.edu.